Centerless grinder



M1525, 1942. P.. STEWART Erm.' 2,293,923

CENTERLE'SS GRINDER v Filed sept. 7, 1939 s sheets-siegt 1 FIS-,2- [,5 N /Z/ la@ linmrl PETE@ 57271/4627 ma l fat-PH Wn- T.

@' dan Aug. 25, 1942-. I P. STEWART Erm..

CENTERLESS GRINDER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 A l Filed sept.l 7, 1959 5 Jl (IL trically of the latter.

Patented ug. 25`,' y1.942

UNITED STATE s PATENT OFFICEL CENTERLESS GRINDEB Peter Stewart, Boylston, and Joseph H. Swift, Worcester, Mass., assignors to The American Steel and Wire Company of New Jersey, a corporation of New Jersey Application September 7, 1939, Serial No. 293,834

imams.- (cl. 51.-'13) This invention relates to centerless grinders, the primary object being to grind the surface of long lengths of vcontinuously moving wire, rod l and the like, including assemblies such as wire strands and ropes.

A speciiic example of the invention is: illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure. l shows the example in use; Figure 2 is an isometric view of the example; Figure 3 is a sectional elevation, and q f' Figure 4 is a section from the line IV-IV in Figure 3.v

More specically referring to these drawings, a rotary abrasivezcylinder I is carried inside an annular mount 2 journaled for rotation by antifriction bearings 3 in an annular mount I, eccen- This mount 4 is eccentrically Journaled inan annular mount 5 which is, in turn, journaled in a housing 6.

The mount 2 carrying the abrasive cylinder `vI is driven at a high speed through a belt drive trically respecting the rotative axis of the mount 5, this support 20 being mounted by a cross bar '2| ilxed to the mount 5 and which isfree from wearing of the abrasivecylinder I, thev linger I l* is vmoved so as to engage the star-wheel I4 eccentrlcally carried `by the mount 5, so as to adjust the abrasive cylinder I to a new position.

I by a motor 8, and the mount 5 journaled in o the housing 6 isrotatively driven at a much 'slower speed through a belt drive 9 by a motor Il, rotation of the mount l respecting the mount l being prevented by a worm-wheel II that is o on the mount l and is engaged by -a worn I2,

4the friction between the `worm I2 and the wheel II being sufficient to preventrotation between the two mounts.

This worm-wheel II may be turned by a shaft I 3 transversely journaled by the mount 5 tangentially of themount l, this shaft I3 having a star-wheel Il that revolves inside a space I5 inside the housing 8. Rotation of the star-wheel Il can be eilected by a finger I4a 'pivoted' to the housing 6 and provided with an electromagnetic ing path of the star-wheel Il, the latter` b e'ing die Il through the abrasive cylinders I of the various grinders to a wire drawing block I9. The die I8 may be used to complete the processing of the wire but 'it also functions to 'provide a taut span between it and the block- I9, the grinders working on this taut span of wire.

In some instances the tautness of the wire may be sui'ilcient to eliminate'the need for supporting the wire against the grinding pressure. However,v thev drawings show the grinder as being provided with a support 20 that guides the vwire concen- 65 maintained in exact grindingadjustment.

` of the wire I'I feeding through a wire drawing to approach the lsurface of the wire.

In operation, assuming the grinder is used as illustrated by Figure 2, the motor Ithrough the belt drive 9 rotates the mount 5 at a relatively slow speed. This causes the mount I to revolve aboutthe rotating axis of the mount 5, the mount 4, in'turn, causing the mount 2 to revolve. about this axis in a fixed orbit calculated to cause the inside of the abrasive cylinder I to grind the surface of the wire. The support 20 revolves with the cylinder I due to its being carried by the mount 5, this support 20 having, as previously mentioned, guide ngers 22 which positively hold the wire concentric the rotating axis ofv the mount 5. As it revolves, the abrasive cylinder I is rotated at a relatively high speed by the motor 8 through the-belt drive 1, it being necessary to provide a spring-actuated idle pulley 'Ia to maintain the belt of this drive in a taut condition since the driven wheel associated with the mount 2 must revolve with 'this mount as it rotates.

Grinding progresses in this manner until the abrasive cylinder I begins to Wear and therefore to fail to remove as much of the surface from the wire as it should. At this time the gage 24 closes the circuit to the electromagnetic motorl I6 through the lines 23, this motor then throwing the iinger Ila into the path of the star-wheel I I. When the star-wheel is revolved into engagement with the finger, it is rotated the distance of one of its points, this turning the worm I2 and effecting a very slight movement of the worm-wheel Il, whereby to very slightly rotate the revolving mount l. Since this mount iseccentrically mounted by the rotating mount 5, the orbit of the abrasive cylinder I is changed so as to cause the inner periphery ofthis cylinder K In this manner the abrasive cylinder I is permanently notchangew nthisiustdescribedaction urs, so that its guide fingers 22 maintain the wire concentric the rotating axis of the mount l.

2 willbenotedthatthepositionofthesuppcrtll d0 he occ will be appreciated from the foregoing that I the use of 'a very few parts of rugged character enable proper adjustment-of the abrasive cylintimes. It might also be mentioned it has beenfoun'd that, due to grinding the wire by the inside of the abrasive cylinder which is alexact adjustment, a self-dressing abrasive cylinder is secured, nierefore, abrasive cylinder may be worked imtil it is totally worn away without its being removed from the i5 ing said work leaving said wheel, and automatic means for rendering the first named means re-v sponsiveto the operation of said gage.

2. A centerless grinder including the combination of a rotary abrasive cylinder, a first rotary mount eccentrically carrying said cylinder, a second rotary mount eccentrically carrying said first mount, the axes of all of said rotary elements being parallel, means for rotating both said wheel 3 and said second mount, wire or the like being .adapted to be continuouslv moved through said cylinder concentric with the rotating axis of said second mount so as to be engaged by the inner periphery of said wheel, means for controlling 40 position, and means for establishing an electric the rotation of said first mount to thereby control the adjustment of said wheel respecting said wire orthe like, a cross bar nxed to said second mount free from said first mount, and

s. support moimted by said bar and guiding the wire eoncentrically respecting the rotative axis of said second mount, said support having guide lingers that continuously embrace a substantial italiaans 4 portion of the circumference of the wire opposite that lengaged by the inner periphery of said whee 3. A grinder including theV combination of a rotary abrasive cylinder, a first rotary mount eccentrically` carrying said cylinder, a second mount eccentrically carrying said ilrst mount, the axes of al1 of said rotary elements being parallel, means for rotating both said wheel iii-nd said second mount, work being adapted to be continuously moved vthrough said cylinder concentric. with the rotating axis of said second mount sov as 4to be engaged by the inner periphery of said wheel, means carried by said second mount for controlling the rotation of said first mount and including an operating element, and stationary means movable into a position for operating engagement by said element as it revolves due to being carriedby said second mount.

4. A grinder including the combination of a rotary abrasive cylinder, a ilrst rotary mount eccentrically carrying said cylinder, a second rotary mount eccentrically carrying said nrst mount, the axes of ali of said rotary elements being parallel, means forgrotating both said wheel and said second mount, work being adapted to be continuously moved through said cylinder concentric with the rotating axis of said second mount so as to be engaged by the inner periphery of said wheel, means carried by said second mount for controlling the rotation of said nrst mount and including an operating element, 'stationary means movable into a position for operating engagement by said element as it revolves due to .being carried by said second mount, a gage continuously measuring the work after it leaves said wheel and adapted to control an electric circuit, electrically operated means for moving said stationary means to said circuit controlled by said -gage and operating said electrically operated means, whereby the latter is operated in accordance with. the measure of the work after it leaves said wheel.

Pm STEWART. Josera n swn'r. 

